To encourage children to explore their local woodlands after school, Forestry Commission England has joined in partnership with Roald Dahl Story Company to create the most marvellous “forest adventure kit”. The kit will be launched on 13 September, Roald Dahl Day to celebrate the much-loved author on his birthday. Roald Dahl Day is the annual, global celebration of the world’s number one storyteller, his beloved stories and unforgettable characters.

In Roald Dahl’s bestselling story, James and the Giant Peach, James Henry Trotter escaped from Aunt Spiker and Aunt Sponge by rolling away in a giant peach and going on an extraordinary adventure. Informed by Roald Dahl’s own love of adventure and nature, Forestry Commission England are now inviting children to go on their own special adventure where they can meet their very own insect friends, and learn all about their habitats with the “forest adventure kit”.

Available to buy from 15 Forestry Commission sites, the kit has everything needed for budding human bean explorers including; a backpack, activity booklet, foldout binoculars, magnifier, collecting tray, forest find cards, stickers and a pencil. Children with be able to use the binoculars to look at animals high up in the tree canopy and the magnifier to look closely at tiny creatures on the forest floor with growing fascination for the forest surroundings.

Josephine Lavelle, Head of Marketing says:

“We are very excited to be working with the Roald Dahl Story Company for the first time with the launch of the “forest adventure” kit. The new partnership will allow us to connect school aged children with their local forest through completing lots of fun James and the Giant Peach themed activities.

“In Roald Dahl’s famous book, James Trotter meets seven magical bugs and goes on an imaginary adventure. The nation’s forests provide the perfect place for children to go on their own adventure and to discover bugs in their natural habitats.”

Look out for James and the Giant Peach themed family fun days at selected Forestry Commission England sites over September with some bonus events over October half-term. These activity-based events will include games that will test your children’s agility, speed and accuracy, including peach volleyball, spider’s web, three-legged centipede race and more.

Notes to Editor

Forestry Commission England manages the nation’s forests to maximise benefits for people, wildlife, and the economy. As custodians of the nation’s forests, we welcome over 226 million visits every year; offering close to 3,000 km of waymarked walks and trails, cycle routes and bridle paths that are open every day. On top of that, 99.9% of England’s population lives within an hour’s drive of accessible forests we manage and our network of visitor centres provides a unique opportunity to engage with the public. www.forestryengland.co.uk

The Forestry Commission Discovery Pass gives free parking for the year for your local Forestry Commission Woodland, plus a range of other great discounts. Further information can be found at http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pass

The Roald Dahl Story Company Roald Dahl (1916-1990) was the author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, The BFG and many more of the world’s best-loved children’s stories. He remains one of the world’s greatest storytellers and is celebrated annually by the world’s biggest author-based event, Roald Dahl Day – which is recognised across the globe on 13th September.

His first children’s story, James and the Giant Peach, published in 1961 and was a huge hit. Every subsequent book became a best-seller.

Today, his stories are available in 61 languages and, by a conservative estimate, he has sold more than 250 million books. Many of these stories have also been adapted for stage and screen, including the 1971 film classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, Wes Anderson’s acclaimed Fantastic Mr Fox, the Oscar-nominated Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s multi-award-winning production of Matilda the Musical.